Drake Garganey

The patch was packed with new year ticks over the weekend with Yellow Wagtail, Cuckoo, Swift, House Martin, Sand Martin but best of all was a cracking  Drake Garganey that I found on Saturday at the viewing area. It stayed most of the day till at least 4.30pm and at times it was heard calling - smart birds.

Spring Ice

A fairly decent morning on the patch with Lesser Whitethroat and Common Tern bringing the total up to that magical number #100. As I said before it's the best start ever and hopefully a record breaking year.

A quick breakfast and I was back out again but over Rainham Marshes to twitch 3 Iceland Gulls near the stone barges - thanks to Jonathan Wasse for the heads up. I did manged 2 out of 3 with a 2cy and very smart 3cy.

The light was good so used ISO 400 1/2000 f7.1 and some brown bread for a closer view.

Arctic Skua

Despite the dull weather on Sunday afternoon and as I spent most of Sunday at work, I still went out on to the patch to twitch Paul's male Wheatear on Ingrebourne hill #97 - you can't beat a spring male on the patch.

With Barn Owl, Green Sandpiper, Blackcap,Swallow, Sedge Warbler, Willow Warbler and another fly over Hawfinch, the patch has sprung into action over the last couple of weeks. With my opics getting wet from the rain and no sign of getting another year tick I done something different, I went to Rainham Marshes to check the river. With good conditions I stopped off at Ferry Lane and the first bird in the bins was a cracking dark phase Arctic Skua sitting on the Thames! A good scarce bird for the London recording area.

Only on view for a few minutes before it flew east chasing the Gulls.......